With the vagaries of photographing wildlife, the flexibility of a telephoto zoom would appear to be an attractive solution. However, image quality is often a compromise at the maximum aperture and longest focal length, typically the most crucial settings. We’ve pulled some lens data from our database and put together a round up of popular zoom lenses over the years (and made some comparisons with high performance primes). Read on to find out which models have the best image quality.

Wildlife photography: what do I need?

Photographing wildlife successfully doesn’t necessarily depend on having the longest and fastest super-telephoto lens available in a manufacturer’s list, in fact it requires a good deal of skill and patience, but there are some lenses that can help improve your chances. A telephoto can be of benefit when photographing shy and small creatures/animals, but while offering high image quality, a fixed focal length telephoto can be restricting.

A zoom lens, however, is much more flexible and by carrying fewer lenses, can save weight and be real blessing while travelling on airlines and public transport not to mention allowing considerable freedom in the field. The trade-off for this convenience is often lower- lens speed and -image quality. Having a lens with a wide maximum aperture is often essential to prevent subject blurring but high-speed telephoto zooms are pricey and fixed focal length telephoto lenses aren’t really any more affordable either.

We’ve put together a review of telephoto zooms and fixed focal length lenses that encompass a focal length of at least 300mm. However, bear in mind, even when used on an APS-C cropped camera this focal length is considered too short for smaller animals, birds especially. Lenses that exceed that focal length are fewer and more expensive but where possible we’ve included them (from our database of 22 lenses and more than 400 camera/lens combinations).

Lenses that fall firmly into this particular category in our test database include:

We are also aware that lenses like the high-end, full-frame Nikon AF-S Nikkor 200-400mmm f/4G ED VR II (and the to be released Canon equivalent) are rightly popular (especially on an APS-C camera, where it becomes a 300-600mm f/4 in effect) and so this review will be updated when we’ve had a chance to put them through our labs.

Other lenses that are not yet included in our tested database but should also be considered include;

Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED

First replies for this comment

Re: Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED

Hi Bird201, I think a lot of people are looking for the kind of thorough review that DxOMark do for the Nikon 3000f4, the 300f4 plus TC-14E ii, and the Canon 400f5.6. ::) There is no substitute for these lenses in the keen amateur ("prosumer") bird photography market. It's widely acknowledged that the long tele-zooms are not sharp where needed (at the long end), as DxO's own results show - something people usually find out too late :'( The exceptions are usually too expensive (eg 200-400 f4). Even professionals use the Nikon 300f4 plus TC-14E ii combo and swear by it (eg: http://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-300mm-f4d)

People often um-and-ah about whether to go Nikon 300f4+TC14 or Canon 400f5.6 (eg see: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1067193/0).

The only review site I have found that allows a comparison of both on the same terms is photozone.de, where the 300f4+TC14 (and 300f4+TC17) results are included along with the 300f4 alone:http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/228-nikkor-af-s-300mm-f4d-if-ed-review--test-report?start=1http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/173-canon-ef-400mm-f56-usm-l-lab-test-report--review?start=1

It would be a fantastic contribution if DxOMark could so an article comparing the Nikon 300f4, 300f4+TC14 and Canon 400f5.6 and asking what the best options are for amateur birders 8)

Both the Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR AF (listed but with no hyperlink) and the Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S (not listed) have been tested:http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Nikon/Nikon-AF-VR-Zoom-Nikkor-80-400mm-F45-56D-EDhttp://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Nikon/Nikon-AF-S-NIKKOR-80-400mm-F45-56G-ED-VR

Maybe lenses already tested could be moved into the "Lenses that fall firmly into this particular category in our test database include" list.

DxO Mark for Nikon 300f4 (plus TC-14E) and Canon 400f5.6

Thanks DxO team for this great collection! I am a keen bird photographer, so it is highly relevant.

Two VERY important lenses are missing from a keen amateur/portable professional view. There are no DxO marks on the AF-S Nikon 300mm f/4 - almost always paired with a TC-14E ii by nature photographers - and for Canon users, the Canon 400mm f/5.6L.

Almost without exception the long telephoto zooms are not sharp at the long end (400-600mm) where amateur bird photographers are interested. The few exceptions are pricey (like the Nikon 80-400 f/4.5-5.6G) or out of reach of most amateurs (the Nikon 200-400 f/4). Some reviewers (eg Nasim Mansurov at Photography Life) even recommend the Nikon 300f4/TC-14E combination above the Nikon 80-400 f/4.5-5.6G.

I would dearly like to see you DxOMark the 300f/4 alone and in combination with the TC-14E ii - a popular combination seen as sharp and often used after amateurs who have given up on their third party telezooms reaching 500mm to 600mm after realising they are not sharp!

Miss some...

Hey guys,

What is alway the thing with this tests, which is a lot of times lately.It looks like you guys have already favorites and push the 'test' in a direction.Why al these really old rather crappy Tamrons? I mis the best ones! The VC versions are a lot better then these old versions of 2000 and 2004! Even if the have stabalisation and sometimes it does not work well because of the tripod or fast shutters speed, keep in mind you can always switch them off...

Then i mis a really versatile lens, the Sigma 50-500 OS HSM if you guys talk about reach in the intro you really have to put this one in the test because it has an amzing reach.Also consider testing some of the faster lenses with tele converter.

I understand thatbit is a lot more work but with this short list I think you don't give the whole thing an objective look for readers.

First replies for this comment

Re: Miss some...

Hello!

Thanks for your comment.

HI Arend,

As you noticed it is a lot of work and we had to do some choices…For this article we try to highlight some good value telephoto zoom.In this article we reviewed a lot of high end telephoto prime (Canon and Sony) and we should publish some results of famous Nikon primes very soon.Your remark about extender is very relevant but we won’t have time to measure it for now.I you want to have an idea about the influence of an extender on image quality, have a look on our last review about the Canon EF200-400mm f/2.8 1.4x.

Telephoto zoom lens for Nikon over 300mm

Most amateur photographs are looking for wildlife zooms at a good second hand price: 1500 - 2500 euros

Ken Rockwell on his site suggest to use a 400mm AF I F2,8 and a TC 14 E teleconverter: this is the kind of equipment you should test for people who can't afford a brand new nikon lens...

There is a big potential market there, and also, a company like yours, could offer a test bench where we could get a test of a second-hand lens, at a fair price, so as to see if its worth buying it...

The potential sellers and buyers could then do the deal in total confidence, or publish in their selling advertisement the test you had done for them. (Cost of test should be around 100 to 150 euros)...

First replies for this comment

Re: Telephoto zoom lens for Nikon over 300mm

Hello,

Thanks for your very relevant comment.

We made the choice to specifically focus in this comparison on telephoto-zooms with a maximum focal superior or equal to 300mm.

Fix focals of 300, 400, 600 or 800mm type, whatever their brands, are indeed well-indicated for wildlife photography. As we already have some long focals in our database, this kind of lenses will be tackled in further comparisons.

The lenses you suggested are very relevant and we are going to add them to our list. In this regard, we welcome any suggestions of yours concerning other lenses we might include in ours reviews.